BVB overcome Hoffenheim 2-0 in intense game | OneFootball

In front of 81,365 spectators at a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Julian Brandt scored the opening goal shortly before half-time (43) in what was his 200th Bundesliga appearance for BVB. In a very intense game, Nico Schlotterbeck extended the lead on the hour mark. Hoffenheim were the stronger of the two teams in what remained of the game, but Borussia always maintained a cool head.

Scenario:Third against fifth. Borussia had remained unbeaten in 11 home games across all competitions (nine wins, two draws) until Tuesday's cup match against Leverkusen. Their last home defeat in the Bundesliga was almost nine months ago (8 March, 1-0 against Augsburg). Hoffenheim had picked up 14 of a possible 18 points on the road this season, remaining unbeaten and boasting the best away record in the league.

Personnel matters:  Niko Kovac fielded more or less the same starting XI that had won 2-1 in Leverkusen the previous weekend, with one exception: Couto replaced Ryerson. There were five changes compared to the cup match against Bayer: Aaron Anselmino, Yan Couto, Marcel Sabitzer, Julian Brandt and Serhou Guirassy replaced Emre Can, Julian Ryerson, Jobe Bellingham, Carney Chukwuemeka and Fabio Silva (who all moved to the bench).

Tactics:Kovac sent his team out in a 3-4-3 formation. In the midfield four, Sabitzer frequently pushed forward from the double pivot. TSG, playing in a 4-3-3 formation, pressed high against Dortmund's goalkicks, preferred to build up play down the left side, and frequently played long balls to the left wing position.

The match & analysis:Borussia started strongly. In the sixth minute, after Dortmund won possession in midfield, Brandt slipped a pass to Adeyemi, who looked to be bearing down on goal before being stopped by Hranac. Sixty seconds later, there was another duel between the two. This time, the Hoffenheim player's tackle after Guirassy's header looked worthy of a foul. Referee Badstübner let play continue – as he did in the 21st minute when Guirassy, in space on the left side of the box, tried to get a shot off after a cross from Couto. The Dortmund player's shooting leg was interrupted on its trajectory by the outstretched foot of TSG right-back Coufal. Surely that was a penalty?

Undeterred, the Black & Yellows kept plugging away. Brandt tested Baumann with a shot from the left side of the box (22). Although the game had its ups and downs from Dortmund's perspective, and although they were unable to maintain the pressure throughout, BVB deservedly took the lead shortly before half-time: Adeyemi played a through ball for Couto, who drove to the byline and then cut the ball back sharply inside. Brandt arrived at just the right moment and slotted home to make it 1-0 (43).

In a very intense encounter, in which both teams had already broken the 60-kilometre mark by half-time with 62.4 and 63.2 kilometres respectively, the Black & Yellows could have set the course for victory shortly after the restart. Adeyemi beat his man out wide and delivered a pinpoint cross towards Svensson, whose headed effort forced a strong save out of Baumann (48). Down the other end, Anselmino made an important intervention to clear the ball off the line (51). Not long afterwards, there were three corners in a row for BVB. The third seemed to have been cleared from Hoffenheim's point of view, but Borussia kept pressing. Adeyemi sent Couto into space out wide. His cross was headed down by Nmecha to Nico Schlotterbeck, who made it 2-0 from 14 metres out despite falling down as he took the shot. It was the first goal since February 2024 (also against TSG) for the man wearing the captain's armband today.

Anton narrowly missed out on making it 3-0 after a free-kick delivery (69), but after that, Hoffenheim increasingly gained the upperhand and created several chances. Nmecha got in the way of a shot from Touré (74), Kramaric missed the target (78). At the end of another busy week, the team fought hard and stuck together. And they almost celebrated a third goal: After a dream pass from Couto, Guirassy was clean through but could only hit the crossbar (90).

Outlook:Borussia Dortmund will play the third of three consecutive home games on Wednesday (21:00 CET) in the UEFA Champions League against Norwegian club FK Bodø/Glimt. In the league, they travel to Freiburg next Sunday.

Boris Rupert

Teams & goals

Bundesliga, Matchday 13Sunday, 7 December 2025, 17:30 CETBORUSSIA DORTMUND 2–0 (1-0) TSG HOFFENHEIM  

Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Anselmino, Anton, Schlotterbeck – Couto (90+2, Ryerson), Sabitzer, Nmecha (90, Bellingham), Svensson – Adeyemi (80, Beier), Guirassy (90, Fabio Silva), Brandt (80, Chukwuemeka)TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Coufal, Hranac, Hajdari, Bernardo – Avdullahu – Prömel (73, Tohumcu), Burger (80, Hlozek) – Lemperle (73, Bebou), Asllani (62, Kramaric), Touré (80, Moerstedt)Substitutes: Meyer, Bensebaini, Gross, Can – Philipp, Gendrey, Kabak, Prass Goals: 1-0 Brandt (43, Couto), 2-0 Schlotterbeck (60, Nmecha)Corners: 7-5 (2-2 at half-time), chance ratio: 6-2 (3-0)Referee: Badstübner (Nürnberg), bookings: – Hajdari, BernardoAttendance: 81,365 (sold-out), weather: rainy, 10 degrees